This research aimed to reveal the differences in radial growth responses of the dominant tree species Abies fargesii var. faxoniana and Larix potaninii to climate change in the subalpine timberline of western Sichuan, China. Based on dendrology methods, the main climate factors limiting the radial growth of these two species were used to analyze the divergence between radial growth and annual average temperature, growth decline, resistance and recovery against severe drought. The results showed that (1) temperature was the main climate factor limiting the radial growth of A. fargesii var. faxoniana in the timberline, while precipitation was the main climate factor limiting the radial growth of L. potaninii. (2) The change trend of radial growth of A. fargesii var. faxoniana was consistent with the average annual temperature, while the radial growth of L. potaninii showed a decreasing trend since the 1990s, which was divergent with the increase of averagely annual temperature. (3) From 1800 to 2019, two periods of growth decline occurred for A. fargesii var. faxoniana, while five periods of growth decline occurred for L. potaninii, indicating that the frequency of L. potaninii was higher than that of A. fargesii var. faxoniana during this time. (4) For A. fargesii var. faxoniana, the resilience against severe drought increased, while the recovery ability decreased after warming; for L. potaninii, the resistance and recovery ability against severe drought showed a decreasing trend compare to before warming. This study can be helpful for predicting vegetation dynamics and reconstructing the historical climate in the subalpine timberline in western Sichuan, China.